Adjustable tracker for pneumatic playing attachments.



UNITED STA'JTES Pridllifli 'l (iliFlCli JOSEPH H. DICKINSON, i" (ZRANFO 1m, NEW .ncnsi'cr. .issidvor. 'ru AEOJJAN vonrinmi or NEW ronn, N. r.

ADJUSTABLE TRACKER FOR PNEUMATIC PLAYING ATTACHMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 23, 1908.

Application filed November 24, 1908. Serial No. 464,315.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnru l-l. .DlUKINSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cranford, in the county of Union and State Of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Trackers for Pneumatic Playing Attachments, of which the following is a speoification.

' This invention relates to improvements in adjustable trackers for pneumatic playing attachments for-musical instruments.

The object of m invention is to provide a new and improve tracker having two independent rows of tracker holes connec ted with dudts, and with means for easily and rapidly bringing the ducts of either row into or out of operative communication with ducts leading to the player mechanisms, all of simple construction, and effective and reliable in action and operation.

In the accompanying drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate like arts in -ll the figures: Figure 1 is a vertica sectional view through one embodiment of my neiy and improved tracker board and one player pneumatic and the valves thercol'. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the mechanism ior bringing the ducts oi either-row of holes into and out of communication with a player mcchanisn'i. Fig. 3 is an elevation 'of the construction shown in Fi 2, parts being broken away.

lhe striker pneumatic 1, its valves 2 and 3 and the wind chest 4 are all of conventional construction. The hollow tracker board 5 ,secured in the music box 6 containing the. qnusic rolls 7 and S, of conventional construe tiqn. The tracker board 5 is provided in its ollter edge with two longitudinal rows of holes 9 and 10 and the holes may differ in number, in said rows, may differ in size, in the two rows and may be s aced differently in the two rows for exzunpll theremay be sixty-five holes 9'50 one row and eighty-eight holes 10 in the other row. connected with a duct 11 and each hole 10 withn duct 12, which ducts may for example be formed of rubber or metal tubes. Each duct 11 and 12 terminates in a chamber 13 on the ed es of which a diaphragm valve 14. is secured each of which can close one end of a transverse duct 15, around which ends of the duct seats for the diaphragm valves are formed. The transverse duct 15 is connect with the duct 16 leading to the striker pneu- Each hole 9 is phcre or with a suction device.

ed with a single duct 16 leading to the valve of a striker pneumatic, in the embodiment illustrated, the valve 5. The several diaphlegm valves 14 are thus arranged in two scts, each corresponding to one set of ducts 11 or 12 and the valves 14 of each set are located in a separate chamber 17, which chambers may be connected with atmosphere or with a suction chamber by well known pneumatic or other means. Each duct 11 and 12 is connected by a bleed hole with that chamber 17 in which the valve 14 of said duct is located. The bleed holes 18 in the ducts 11 connected with the. sixty-five holes 9 are made larger than the' bleed holes 19 in the ducts 12 connected with the eighty-eight note holes 10 as clearly shown in Fig. 2, as the holes 9 in the sixtyfive row are larger than the holes 10 in the ei ht -ei ht row and to insure the same rupidity of action for the holes of both rows the olccd holes must be varied in size according to the size of the tracker hole.

As shown in Fig. 2 atmos heric air has been admitted into the left and chamber 17 and presses the left hand diaphragm valve 14 upon the left hand end of the transverse ducts 15 thus cutting out the ducts of the sixty-five hole row from communication matics.

The right hand chamber is connected with the suction device and the air entering through the tracker holes 19 kee s the right hand diaphragm in valves 14 ol'l thcir seats thus keeping the ducts of the eighty-eight hole row in coininunicl-rtion with the ducts 16 leading to the striker pncumatics. Bv

admitting air into the right hand chamber 17 and exhausting the air from the left hand chamber 17, conditions are reversed and the ducts of the sixty-live hole row are connected with the striker pneumatics and the ducts of the eighty-eight hole row are disconnected from the pneumatics.

Any well known means may be used for connecting either chamber 1 7 with the atnios- I have shown, for example; the chambers 17 connected by tubes 30 wit a suction device (not shown) and by holes 31 with the atmosphere. A slide valve 32 connected with a mani iulating rod 33 is provided in each chain or for the purpose and either closing the ports 31 or the suction tube 30.

having two rows claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. lhe combination with a tracker board, having two rows of holes, the holes in one row Fi ing dillerent in size, from the holes in the stier row, of ducts connected with (inholes and arranged in two groups, common ducts, each connected with two (:(Jlllsjhillth ing ducts of the two roups above mentioned, a valve for each not, for controlling its communication with its common duct, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a tracker board, having two rows of holes, the holes in one row being difi'erent in size from the holes in the other row, of ducts connected with the holes and arranged in two groups, a trans verse duct for each air of ducts leading from the tracker, a va ve for each end of the transverse duct, 'a duct connected with the transverse -duct, a pneumatic connected with said duct, two air chambers containing said valves, each duct leading from a trackerhole having a bleed hole communioat' with the corresponding chamber, the bleed holes for the ducts connected with the larger tracker holes being larger than the bleed holes for the ducts connected with the smaller tracker holes, substantially as set forth;

3. 'The combination with a tracker board, of holes, the holes in one row being different in size from the holes in the other row, of duets connected with the goles ,and arran ed in two groups, a common uct 'iconnecte with two corresponding ducts of the two groups above mentioned, a

l L diaphragm valve l'oi each duct, which din-- ihrsgni \elve controls the connnunication )(tWttll llll' duct and the common duct relilting to n pair, two air chambers containing the valves of said two groups of ducts, a bleed hole in each duct and communicating with the corrcsponding, chamber, the bleed holes for the ducts communicating with the 1 larger tracker holes being larger than the bleed holes for the ducts communicating with the smaller tracker holes, substantially as set forth.

l. The combination with a tracker board, having two rows of holes, the holes in one row being dillcrent in size from the holes in the other row, of ducts connected with the holes and arranged in two groups, a common duet connected with two corresponding ducts of the two groups above mentioned, a pneumatic valve for each duct, and two air chambers containing said valves, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a tracker board havin being larger than the holes of a duct connected with each hole, which ducts have bleed holes and the bleed holes for the ducts connected with the lar or tracker board holes being larger than he bleed holes for the ducts connected with the smaller tracker board holes, substantially as set forth.

Signed this 21st day of- November A. D.

JOSEPH H. DICKINSON. Witnesses:

A. A. Seorr, A. W. SPERRY.

two sets of holes, the holes ofone set of the other set, 

